The overall physical demand that Iraq has is pretty amazing. It's 130 degrees, and the soldiers are carrying about 100 pounds of extra gear. It's a pretty rigorous schedule and routine for them.

The people who are competing business-wise out there want what other successful labels and artists have. I don't want what they have I want my own path, my own sound, my own identity. Record labels care nothing about identity or artistic freedom, they want good business.

Everything that's cool that happens, I look at my wife and I say, 'We need to enjoy this moment right here! This is really special!'

In my mind, as long as I did what was right for me, I was cool. But that's not the way it works. You have to think about other people and take their feelings into account.

There's been a lot of really cool stuff that's happened to me throughout my career, and I remember everything, but I don't think I savored every moment of it like I should have or like I do now.